


Focus

by imaginentertain



Category: Days of Our Lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-30
Updated: 2014-03-30
Packaged: 2018-01-17 14:07:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1390594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginentertain/pseuds/imaginentertain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I would love to tell you that Arianna Grace, under guidance from her two doting fathers, grew up to be the most perfect little girl that the world has ever seen.  That she was kind and polite and respectful to everyone she met.  But she's a teenager.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Focus

I would love to tell you that Arianna Grace, under guidance from her two doting fathers, grew up to be the most perfect little girl that the world has ever seen. That she was kind and polite and respectful to everyone she met.

She was for a while, when she was young and easily controlled. But a succession of events turned that tide.

Her mother, who claimed she'd do anything for her little girl, disappeared one night with Nick, leaving only a note which said _I'm sorry_. EJ suspected that Gabi had sacrificed herself and motherhood to protect everyone, but young Arianna didn't understand that.

Her doting fathers having another child, a boy, who became the centre of everyone's world as far as Arianna was concerned, leading to resentment and distrust of this invader into her home. When the baby caught chicken pox her only memory of that week was both of her fathers spending all of their time with him while she felt ignored and unwanted. 

Her teenage years, full of hormones and fights and arguments over clothes and boys and curfews. Arianna Grace was Samantha Brady's granddaughter and all hell was breaking loose.

There were good times in with all the dramas, and they always made their peace afterwards. They were, they believed, just like every other family with their ups and downs and fights and make ups. There wasn't a fight that threatened real damage.

Until there was.

I would love to tell you that Arianna Grace, under guidance from her two doting fathers, grew up to be the most perfect little girl that the world has ever seen. That she was kind and polite and respectful to everyone she met.

But she's a teenager.

~~

_You are not my father and as soon as you start realising that and focus on your child, the better for all of us._

Sonny was doing a very good job of acting like he wasn't falling apart. He was sat at the table, sorting out rotas and spreadsheets while facing the obstinately closed door to Ari's room. Despite Will's protests he'd demanded that his husband take their son out. To the park, for a walk, for ice cream in the middle of March. He didn't care, they just needed to go. Sonny? He would wait. He was, he joked, very good at that seeing as how Will had made him wait so many times in the early years of their relationship. 

_You are not my father and as soon as you start realising that and focus on your child, the better for all of us._

It had been almost an hour since Arianna had come home from her friend's, despite being grounded, an a little less than that since Sonny had challenged her on her behaviour. A few seconds after that Ari had said the one thing that deep down Sonny had been terrified she would say to him one day.

_You are not my father._

_You are not my father._

_You are not my father._

When he heard the door handle turn a little he stopped, pulling down the screen of his laptop. The bedroom door opened a crack and then, suddenly and decisively, all the way. Headstrong, determined and unrepentant, Arianna strode out towards the kitchen.

"Sit down," Sonny commanded calmly.

Arianna didn't even pause.

"You don't have to say anything, but I do," Sonny continued. "Sit down."

With a sigh and a roll of her eyes, Ari turned on her heel and took a seat diagonally from Sonny. She folded her arms and stared away from him.

"I'm going to keep this simple. You were right. I'm not your father, and if you want me to stop acting like it then I will."

At this Ari turned in surprise.

"You and I can be, what? Roommates I guess. Your dad will do the parent thing; I'll just focus on my kid. Any questions?"

"I... OK," she said, still surprised and trying to process it all.

"I will leave anything even remotely parent related to your dad, from now on you and I? We're roommates. Maybe friends if you want, but I won't push it. I have my son to look after so I don't know how much time I'll have."

Sonny watched Ari as she seemed to deflate in front of him. Her gaze had moved from the far wall to her lap where her hands were clasped.

"There is one thing I'd rather not change though, if it's OK with you," Sonny continued, taking a deep breath when Ari looked up in what could only be described as hope. "The way things are, legally, in terms of insurance and emergencies. It'd be a nightmare to undo it, and I think your dad would prefer it if there was a backup in case he can't get there first. Just means you can get help a little quicker if you need it. But I promise, emergencies only, OK?"

"...OK," Ari said, going back to looking at her hands.

"What is it?" Sonny asked.

"I just... why?"

"This is what you want. You told me I'm not your dad and you're right. I'm not."

"But—" Ari started before cutting herself off.

"But what?"

"But you're not supposed to listen to me!" she protested.

"Why not? You've been telling us for months now that you're your own person, you're independent, you have your own mind. So I trust you to know your own mind."

"Why?"

"Because I was there when you were born. I have been here for every moment between then and now. Because I know you and I know that you're right. You are independent and you do know your own mind."

"But Papa—"

"Sonny," he corrected.

"So that's it? You just give up on me that easily?"

"You think this is easy?" Sonny asked. "Every moment, remember. Every last one of them I have been there for and I have loved you from the moment I held you in my arms and got you to cry. I'm not like your dad, who loved you from the moment he knew you existed and who has only ever tried to do right by you."

"That's different," Ari said, "he has to love me."

"Maybe," Sonny said, "but what about me? I don't have to. I'm not your father, remember?"

"So you don't love me?" she asked quietly.

"Roommates don't love each other like that."

"Papa... please."

"I can't turn off my feelings for you, OK? But I can keep them in check."

"And... if I don't want you to?"

"You don't get it both ways, Arianna. I can't be your roommate and love you like your father."

"I'm just so sick of everyone making decisions that affect me without talking to me first!" Arianna exploded. "Mom left, you guys had a baby, you care more about him than you do about me and I can't even go out with my friends without you two breathing down my necks about who I'm with and where I'm going and it's more than being concerned parents and you know it." She took a deep breath as she folded her arms. "It's not fair."

"Maybe," Sonny replied, "but it's how it is."

"I don't get why she left me," Arianna said, her energy gone and her voice quiet.

"And you're mad at her."

"Wouldn't you be?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe?" she scoffed. "Mom left me and ran off with the creep who got dad shot and called you... that. Grammy Sami told me," she added. "Why would she choose him over me? Over us? He's a creep and he's dangerous and he was obsessed with her and—"

Sonny watched as she began to realise just how insane the situation was.

"We don't know for sure," he said, "but yeah, we think that too."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You were a kid," Sonny replied, "and you were missing your mom. We barely understand why she did it, I mean – your dad and I would do anything for you but to walk away like that?"

"Dad did it."

"That was different and you know it," Sonny said firmly. "And it didn't last long."

"I kicked for him," Ari smiled, remembering the story she'd been told.

"And you've been kicking ever since," Sonny laughed. "That day? Your dad fell more in love than I've ever seen him with anyone, even me."

"Even the brat?"

"You know, I really hate it when you call him that."

"I know. Sorry. It's just... we were fine, the three of us weren't we?"

"My brothers hated me when I was born. Couldn't see why Mom and Dad needed another child. I think for the first six or seven years of my life they were so reluctant to have anything to do with me, and complained every time they had to take me somewhere. But I'll tell you something. When I came out? They were so proud of me. My twenty-first birthday? They took me out for my first proper drink, but the deal was that before we went to my bar, we had to go to theirs first. I'd had about a mouthful of my first beer when some idiot comes in spewing hate and comments about the gays and all the destruction we were doing to society.

"My brothers stood up to him, for me. They wanted me to know that they would always be in my corner and no matter what our past was? We were family."

"But we're not," Ari said. "He's not my brother."

"Ari—"

"He's not," she said firmly. "He's my dad's husband's son. He's got nothing to do with me and I... I hate that. I hate that we have different eye colours and hair colours. You can see Dad and Mom in me and I can see you in him but there's nothing of Dad and there's nothing of me and he doesn't feel like he's... like he's mine."

Sonny tilted his head a little to one side, saying nothing and allowing her to continue.

"And when I see Dad with him, doing all of these little things while I just get on with school and my life? It hurts. I know it shouldn't and I know it's not fair, but that's how I feel. Because I'm his kid, I'm the one that looks like him and—"

"Do you think he didn't do all of that with you when you were little?" Sonny asked. "There were whole days when you would be all he ever focused on. I'd have dinner ready but you'd want your bath so the food would go cold and your dad wouldn't mind. When your mom left he slept in your room so you wouldn't feel alone."

"Really?"

"Really," Sonny smiled. "Your dad adores you, don't you ever think otherwise."

"Then why--?"

"Because he adores your brother too," Sonny said pointedly. "Because do you think your dad's dinner was the only one to go cold those nights? Do you think I employed a club manager because I was sick of doing the paperwork? Or because I was spending my days with you two at the park or the zoo? Do you think your dad spent even half that first night alone in your room before I joined you?

"Because you are my daughter, Arianna. You have been for longer than I've realised it. Your dad knew he loved you from the start. Me? That took a while. Not long, you'd not even left the hospital, but I was standing there and watching you sleep and this guy comes up to me and asks which one of the babies is mine. And I pointed at you, without even hesitating.

"I may not see me in you when I look at you, but I see it in your behaviour. I see it when you take the time to get to know the new kid in the apartment block because you've noticed they don't have many friends. I see it when you make your dad a coffee while he's writing, taking away the old mug without a word."

"I swear he thinks that coffee stays hotter longer than it actually does," she laughed.

"I see it when you're struggling with a class and you don't let it beat you. I see me in you every single day. And your dad? I see him in your brother sometimes."

"The smile?"

"The smile," Sonny grinned. "You don't need blood to be family, Ari. I love you like you're mine. I love you just as much as I love... the brat," he teased.

"So why did you say all of that?"

"Because I need you to realise something," he said gently, leaning over the table and reaching out to take her hand. "Something I think you already know."

Ari nodded. "You love me."

"No. You don't always get what you want."

Ari burst into giggles and lunged across the table, throwing her arms around Sonny's shoulders as best she could. "I love you."

"I love you too, baby girl. You're still grounded though."

"OK."

"And we're still going to talk about you sneaking out."

"Papa—"

"And this weekend you are on babysitting duties."

"Fine," she sighed, pulling back and sitting down. "But I have one request."

"Go on."

"That when I get mad and say stupid things, please don't listen to me."

"I will always listen to you," Sonny said, "I'm just not always going to give it any credit."

"Thank you."

"And take it easy on your dad. He's a good guy."

"Must be to put up with me."

"Nah, that's just stupidity on his part," Sonny quipped.

~~

When Will returned later he found his daughter in their kitchen, laughing and singing and half dancing while she made them dinner. He found his husband, right there with her, laughing and singing and half dancing while he helped. He checked that the toddler was still fast asleep in his stroller before standing in the doorway and watching them, unable to stop himself from laughing when Arianna Grace, headstrong and stubborn and argumentative, rolled her eyes at Sonny and declared that she had the most embarrassing father in the world.


End file.
